I have to admit that these Popovers with Ham and Cheese were an experiment. I’ve made gluten-free popovers quite a few times in the past, but it was years ago. I tried different flavor profiles (dill and Parm, chives and black pepper…), but I had never tried to stuff them, until now.
Ron likes to tease me when I proffer comfort food by chiding me, “What, no gluten-free lobster puffs?” I always just laugh, but the notion of lobster-filled popovers has been taking shape in my mind for a while. However, I didn’t want to experiment with lobster for fear of wasting the succulent sweet lobster meat on a failed attempt.
But ham and cheese made sense to me – a less fussy and delicate option. And it worked! This recipe couldn’t be easier. You can even make the batter in advance, but not so far in advance that you need to refrigerate it, because all of the ingredients, the filling, the eggs, the batter, must be room temperature, to ensure that the popovers pop. They’ll steam and puff up as soon as you put them in the hot oven. When you pull them out, they’ll be nicely browned and caramelized on the outside, and almost custard-like on the inside. Gluten-free Popovers with Ham and Cheese are a real treat.
“Please, Sir, I want some more. (But next time, lobster, OK?)“
Popovers with Ham and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 popover pan (standard size)
- blender
Ingredients
- 3 ounces ham
- 2 ounces cheddar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 T butter
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (King Arthur GF Measure for Measure)
- 1 t dry mustard
- 1/2 t salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven, grease the pan, and prepare the filling – Preheat your oven to 400℉, convection bake setting. Grease the popover pan. Shred the ham and grate the cheese.
- Make the popover batter – Melt the butter in your microwave. Add the eggs, butter, and milk to your blender jar and blend until combined. Separately, whisk the flour, mustard, and salt together, then add the flour mixture to the blender with the egg mixture. Blend until the batter is completely smooth.
- Assemble the popovers and bake – Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each popover cup. Drop some shreds of ham into the batter and then top with a bit of cheese. Distribute the rest of the batter among the six cups. Bake for 18 minutes on the bottom rack of your oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 350℉ and bake an additional 8 minutes.
- Finish – Remove the popovers from the oven. Immediately prick each popover to allow the steam to escape, and let them rest for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve right away.
